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August 30, 2006
CA: Coalition for Effective Public Safety Opposes New Legislation to Build More Prisons
FLOOR ALERT
REJECT NEW PRISON BEDS
OPPOSE AB 17XX AND SB X2-10
Borrows $606 million -- without voter approval -- to build 5,340 new prison beds and plan for another 10,900 more
OPPOSE AB 16XX AND SB X2-9
Adds 4,500 new prison beds for people in women’s prisons
The Coalition for Effective Public Safety (CEPS), a statewide coalition representing organized labor, faith, criminal justice reform, civil rights and community groups, believes you can’t build your way out of this problem.
The CDCR has many problems. But building more prison cells won’t solve any of them. Building more cells will divert even more funds away from programming, reentry services and social services that might keep people from going to prison in the first place.
Increasing the number of cells will only increase the number of people in prison and California’s extraordinary $8 billion prison budget. Increased capacity has never solved the problems of overcrowding, lack of programming or poor conditions.
California voters don’t want more prisons. A 2006 poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found only 3% of Californians named prisons as an infrastructure priority and poll after poll has found that Californians favor cuts to prison spending over any other area of state spending.
We strongly oppose the use of Lease Revenue Bonds to build new prisons. The only reason to use lease revenue bonds is to bypass voter approval, as LRBs will end up costing taxpayers nearly twice the amount borrowed.
California needs to follow the lead of other states and reduce the number of people in prison. We can’t build our way out of this problem.
CONTACT: John Lum, Public Policy Coordinator 916-995-2379
The Coalition for Effective Public Safety (CEPS)
is a capitol based statewide coalition of 38 organizations committed to creating safer communities and lowering prison costs.
Action Committee for Women in Prison
All of Us or None
American Civil Liberties Union
American Friends Service Committee
A New PATH
Behind the Walls
Books Not Bars
CA Attorneys for Criminal Justice
CA Families Against Mandatory Minimums,
CA Prison Moratorium Project
CA State NAACP
Center for Young Women’s Development
Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice
Centerforce
Citizens for the Three Strikes Reform
Critical Resistance
Drug Policy Alliance
Education not Incarceration
ESPINO (Youth Organizing for Equal Justice and Education) Coalition
Families to Amend California’s Three Strikes
Friends Committee on Legislation
Get on the Bus
Justice Now
Justice Policy Institute
Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
Lutheran Office of Public Policy
Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation
National Action Network-California Chapter,
A New Way of Life
PICO California Project
Progressive Christians Uniting
SEIU Local 535
SEIU Local 1000
SEIU State Council
Women & Criminal Justice
Youth Against Youth Incarceration
Youth In Focus
Youth Justice Coalition/Free L.A.!
Posted by lois at August 30, 2006 06:17 PM